1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing system for processing an image sensed by a digital camera to be printed by a printing apparatus, and a digital camera and printing apparatus suitable for the image processing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, when an image sensed by a digital camera is output to a printer as one of printing apparatuses, a personal computer (to be abbreviated as a "PC" hereinafter) is used. The PC captures image data from the digital camera, converts the captured image data into print data that can be processed by the printer, and thereafter, outputs the converted print data to the printer.
This processing will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 15. FIG. 15 shows the arrangement of the image processing system.
As shown in FIG. 15, the image processing system is built by a digital camera 110, PC 112, and printer 114. The digital camera 110 and PC 112 are connected to each other via a communication cable 116 such as an RS232C cable. On the other hand, the PC 112 and printer 114 are connected to each other via a communication cable 118 such as a Centronics cable.
An image sensed by the digital camera 110 is temporarily stored as image data in a flash memory attached to the digital camera 110. When the sensed image is to be printed, the digital camera 110 and PC 112 are connected using the communication cable 116, and communication software installed on the PC 112 is started. Communications between the PC 112 and digital camera 110 are done via the communication software, and the image data stored in the flash memory of the digital camera 110 is transmitted to the PC 112 via the communication cable 116. The transmitted image data is temporarily stored in a hard disk or the like of the PC 112.
When the image data transmitted from the digital camera 110 is stored in the PC 112, the PC 112 starts a printer driver for the printer 114, the image data captured from the digital camera 110 is converted into print data that can be printed by the printer 114 via the printer driver, and the converted print data is output to the printer 114 via the communication cable 118. The printer 114 receives the print data via the communication cable 118, and prints an image converted into the print data onto a print paper sheet.
However, in the above-mentioned image processing system, in order to capture image data sensed by the digital camera 110 into the PC 112, connection of the communication cable 116, start of the communication software, start of the printer driver for converting the captured image data into print data and outputting the converted print data, and the like must be done, and operations for printing an image sensed by the digital camera 110 are complicated.